


First Comes Love

by ACommonAnomaly (RowanBaines)



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Camping, Crack, Drunken Shenanigans, Except for maybe a tiny hint of foreshadowing, Findekáno feeling fondly exasperated, Humor, LOOK MA NO ANGST, M/M, Nothing explicit, Romantic outings ruined by drunken brothers, Sorry Findekáno, a dash of fluff, because who can resist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8507101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanBaines/pseuds/ACommonAnomaly
Summary: Maitimo and Findekáno sneak away during a camping trip in the hope of getting some romantic time alone, but Maitimo's brothers aren't cooperating.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the Blessed Realm, sometime before everything gets complicated.

“Only a little further,” Maitimo said, reaching out to catch Findekáno’s hand so that he could pull him up to the bough he was currently balancing on. Once Findekáno was beside him, they leaned into each other and peered down past the sparse branches of the tree at the ground far below.

When Findekáno looked up again Maitimo was watching him, his eyes silvery in Telperion’s light, though when their gazes met Maitimo quickly looked away and began to climb again.

In the uppermost branches of the tree, just above them now, was a massive collection of sticks and dried grasses, and Findekáno gasped in excitement when he realized what it was.

“An eyrie!” he exclaimed.

Maitimo, who had climbed into the nest and was now reaching down for him said, “Yes. Come.”

He took Maitimo’s hand, and Findekáno felt himself hoisted up, his legs dangling for a moment in the air before he was pulled over the top of the nest and into his Maitimo’s arms. He nuzzled closer, marveling at the incredible warmth Maitimo gave off.

Maitimo hummed contentedly, and they both looked up at the sky.

After a few moments of pleasant silence, Findekáno, slipped a hand under Maitimo’s tunic, stroking up his side. He grinned to himself when Maitimo sucked in a sharp breath of air. Maitimo had been insistent that they take things slow, but Findekáno felt more inclined to hurry things along.

Maitimo gave him a searching look, but then his lips quirked and he leaned his head down against Findekáno’s, holding him a little tighter.

Findekáno was just starting to consider crawling onto Maitimo’s lap when a sudden swelling of beautiful music floated up from below.

Crisp, bright notes like the tinkling of rainfall filled the air, and Findekáno sighed appreciatively, knowing it could only be Makalaurë producing such a skillfully wrought song.

“He must know we’re up here,” Maitimo mused.

Findekáno smiled. “It’s a thoughtful gesture, then.”

It was then that Makalaurë’s voice drifted up, silky and rich as he sang the first few lines of what seemed to be a love song. They listened silently, Maitimo growing tense as the song went on, leaning forward and away from Findekáno.

“So…he probably knows. About us, I mean,” Findekáno said, glancing sideways at Maitimo. “Perhaps this is his way of showing his support.”

Maitimo gave Findekáno a dubious look, but settled back against him to listen.

 

_“All through the courts the hunt is led_

_with maidens hard to tame._

_But once they reach the marriage bed_

_the groom finds himself the game.”_

 

Findekáno huffed out a little laugh, but then cringed when he saw Maitimo’s expression grow dark.

“Maybe the rest of it won’t be too—” Findekáno stopped as more singing drifted up.

 

_“Her kindled flame did flash and roar_

_as the bellows did blow._

_The maiden then a maid no more,_

_rollicked to and fro.”_

 

“Or maybe it will,” Findekáno conceded.

Maitimo was glowering now, and called out, “That is quite enough, Makalaurë.”

The music did not stop, however.

As loudly sung praise of the elven lady’s “fiery forge” filled the air Maitimo crawled to the edge of the nest and reached out to grab a branch bristling with prickly cones. Maitimo twisted one off and gazed intently down into the lower branches of the tree before letting it drop.

There came a series of clacks, a brief silence, and then, “Ouch!”

Maitimo grinned triumphantly and let Findekáno pull him back down into the nest so that they could curl up against each other again.

“That’s it, I’m coming up there.” Makalaurë’s voice was slurred, nothing like it had been while he was singing only moments before, and Findekáno realized that he must have had more than his fair share of the wine the brothers had brought.

“No!” Maitimo jolted, but kept his arm around Findekáno. “Makalaurë, you are too drunk to make this climb. You will certainly fall.”

“Nonsense!” There came an angry twanging, suggesting that Makalaurë had abandoned his harp a bit carelessly.

They heard the ominous groaning of branches, followed by a series of grunts and very creative curses before silence fell again. Findekáno felt Maitimo go perfectly still and knew that he was anxiously awaiting some sign of his brother’s progress.

That sign was a hesitant, “Nelyo?”

Maitimo let out a breath, then said, “Yes?”

“I’m stuck.”

“Oh, for the love of Eru—I told you so!”

“You did not! You said I’d fall but I haven’t fallen, I’m just a little tangled up!” His voice pitched higher with each word, echoing sharply all around them.

“Maybe we should—” Findekáno stopped, realizing Maitimo was trembling against him. He turned in his arms so that he could see his face.

Maitimo cupped a hand over his mouth, but was unable to hold in a short, wheezing laugh.

“Your brother is trapped. You must do something,” Findekáno scolded, but this only seemed to stir Maitimo’s hilarity into something uncontainable, and he buried his face in Findekáno’s hair as he tried to smother his laughter.

“Nelyo!” Makalaurë yelled from below. There was a brief silence, and when he spoke again he sounded quite pitiful. “Stop laughing. I’m stuck. Please help.”

Findekáno elbowed Maitimo off him and gave him a stern look. “He could fall trying to free himself and be injured.”

Maitimo cleared his throat, and though his face was flushed he managed to make his expression somewhat serious. “He’s not very far up. He’ll be fine until—there. Curvo is here now.”

Curufinwë’s voice drifted up. “Makalaurë! Why are you upside down?”

“I’m stuck. _Obviously_ ,” Makalaurë spat.

Curufinwë chuckled.

“Help him, will you?” Findekáno called down, rolling his eyes at Maitimo when he snorted.

“Of course I will help him, dear Findekáno,” Curufinwë said with, impressively, only the mildest of sarcasm in his voice. “What kind of animal do you take me for.”

They heard, once again, the creaking of branches, though the sound was much fainter this time. It was followed by a soft gasp.

“Kano! How in the name of Varda’s twinkly stars did you manage this?”

“Is he alright?” Maitimo asked, for the first time looking genuinely concerned. He sat up straighter, gazing into the distance with the look of someone listening very carefully.

“Yes, he’s fine. It’s just…”  Curufinwë trailed off, leaving them anxiously waiting for several moments before he burst out, “Tyelko! There you are! Come look at the mess Makalaurë has gotten himself into. It’s really quite remarkable.”

“What? No!” cried Makalaurë. “I am not some local curiosity. I am stuck and I would like you to get me _un_ stuck!”

“Easy, brother. I’ll get you down from here, but I will need assistance,” Curufinwë said reasonably.

Tyelkormo made no noise during his ascent, but they knew he had reached the other two when they heard him exclaim, “Ha! _Really_ , Kano?”

Moved by Makalaurë’s pitiful groan, Findekáno said, “If none of you are going to help him then I’ll come down and do it myself.”

“There’s really nothing to worry about. My brothers won’t let him fall.” Maitimo sounded sincere, if a bit defensive. “And anyway, that’s what he gets for ruining our evening with that terrible song.”

Findekáno shrugged. “I kind of liked the song.”

“What’s all this noise?” They heard Ambarussa say from below.

“Is that Pityo?” Curufinwë asked. “Telvo?”

“We are both here. What happened?”

“Makalaurë is stuck up a tree, and Nelyo and Finno are arguing,” Tyelkormo informed them.

“We are not arguing!” Maitimo protested, a little too loudly.

After a spate of chuckling and another groan from Makalaurë, this one distinctly angry, Findekáno scooted to the edge of the eyrie and glared down at the wayward sons of Fëanáro. He tried very hard not to feel amused when he caught sight of the soles of Makalaurë’s boots, which were swaying almost serenely with his half-hearted movements.

Maitimo turned to Findekáno, his voice growing tentative. “We’re not arguing, are we?”

Findekáno opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a new arrival.

“Why is everyone yelling?” Carnistir’s voice boomed around them.

Curufinwë and Tyelkormo fell silent—Findekáno could see their heads turn as they looked at each other—but one of the twins said cheerily, “Makalaurë is dangling from a tree and we’re deciding if we should liberate him.”

“ _How_ we should liberate him,” the other twin diplomatically corrected.

“Yes, of course. How.”

Laughter broke out again, and Makalaurë said, “I feel somewhat dizzy. I think I should sleep.”

“Enough,” came as an impatient grumble from Carnistir. “Move out of the way. I’m coming up.”

Carnistir quickly reached Makalaurë and the other two, and gave a dissatisfied, “Hmph.”

“I have not been idle, you know.” Tyelkormo sounded put out. “Look here. If I can get my knife just under there…”

Findekáno felt it when Maitimo gave a start, and he hid a smile when out of the corner of his eye he noticed him inching nearer to the edge of the nest.

“No,” Curufinwë said thoughtfully. “I think it might be safer if we simply break this branch here. Pityo, Telvo, come closer and stand beneath us. Moryo, move over this way. Hold on right there and just… _pull!_ ”

The tree a creaked, and then a loud crack split the air.

At the sound of Makalaurë’s terrified cry, Maitimo launched himself past Findekáno and was only stopped from going over the edge entirely when Findekáno caught him around the waist.

Cheers broke out below.

Findekáno gave Maitimo an exasperated look. “What did you mean to do, exactly? Fly down there and catch him before he hit the ground?”

“I—no, of course not.” Maitimo looked sheepish for a moment but then directed his attention to his brothers, who were now gathered all together beneath the tree. “Is he hurt?”

“Only his dignity!” Tyelkormo called up with more glee than Findekáno thought appropriate given that his brother had just fallen out of a tree.

But then again, it probably had not occurred to them that they might fail to safely deliver him to the ground. And to be fair, their confidence did seem to be justified, though Findekáno thought that their methods could certainly use some improvement.

The twins, who had deftly caught their falling brother, set Makalaurë on his feet with attentive care despite their earlier teasing.

In fact, they all seemed to be vying for his attention now, the twins placing kisses on Makalaurë’s cheeks before Tyelkormo pulled him away from them to loop an arm around him. Carnistir hovered close behind him as they began to walk, and Curufinwë grabbed Makalaurë by the shoulder as he leaned in to say something in his ear that made him laugh.

Findekáno shook his head in wonderment and turned to Maitimo, who was peering down at his brothers, one hand on Findekáno’s arm where it was still wrapped around him. He looked a little pale, though some of the color returned to his cheeks when one of the twins produced a newly opened bottle of wine and brandished it in front of Makalaurë.

“Makalaurë has had enough. Tyelko, take that from him!” Maitimo ordered as the group moved toward the camp they had set up just over the hill.

Tyelkormo obeyed, and right before they slipped out of sight Findekáno saw him tilt the bottle up and drink.

Maitimo sighed and slumped down into the middle of the eyrie, resting back on his elbows. His eyes were distant, his expression distracted as he turned his gaze upward once again.

Findekáno laid down next to him, resting his hands behind his head as he watched Maitimo watch the sky. He smiled suddenly. “You were worried.”

“I was not.” Maitimo’s voice was suspiciously flat.

“You were! You want to go down there right now and make certain Makalaurë is truly well.”

“You are mistaken.” Maitimo sat up straight, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to look up at the sky. “I fully intend to stay right here.”

“Are you blushing? Don’t be embarrassed. It’s really sweet how like a mother hen you can be.” Findekáno teased, though he wiggled a little closer.

“On second thought I might find a quieter tree to sit in,” Maitimo drawled.

Findekáno laughed brightly, amused to see that Maitimo was indeed blushing now, the flush faint and splotchy over his high cheekbones.

He caught the sound of laughter in the distance, and his smile grew indulgent. “They are terrible brats, but you do love them, don’t you?”

“Of course. I would do anything for them.” Maitimo’s voice grew deeper with these words, filled with the sweeping power of a promise, and Findekáno had the sense that things had just become more serious than he had intended.

But then Maitimo’s eyes locked with his, warm with emotion. Maitimo reached out and stroked his cheek, his gaze softening and his lips curling in a soft smile that made Findekáno feel light-headed with happiness.

“And I would do anything for _you_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [DruxyKexy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/druxykexy) for beta reading this, for all the much-needed encouragement, and for the inspiring help with a certain bawdy song! <333 And also, HA! It took me a year or two but I finally proved to you that I can write something angst-free! XD


End file.
